Cooling apparatus.



No. 636,886. Patented Nov. I4, I899. L. BELL.

COOLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 28, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

No. 636,886. Patented Nov. [4, I899.

L. BELL.

COOLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 28, 189B.) 6N0 Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

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LOUIS BELL, OF- NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOILBY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE BELL HOUSE COOLING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. I

oooLmc APPARAT'us.

- SEEC IFIdATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 636,886, dated. November 14, 1899'.

Application filed January 28, 1898.. Serial No. 668,248. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, LOUIS BELL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Newton, county of Middlesex,and State of Massachusetts,have

invented certain new and useful Improvements in Goolin g Apparatus, of which the following is a specificatiomreference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical section, partly in elevation. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section on the line a: as of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line y y of Fig. l with certain parts in elevation. Fig. tshows the mantle in detail. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the parallel ducts on a larger scale, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section of my drying apparatus.

My apparatus is based on the principle of abstracting heat from a current of air by evaporating in immediate proximity thereto a liquid, preferably water, by meansof a second current of air. Various cooling devices based on this principle have been proposed, from which mine difiers in many important respects. First, in order to attain a practicable device it becomes necessary to separate the evaporating-chamber from the one containing the air to be cooled in order that the air delivered to the apartment may remain dry enough for use, and to accomplish this separation with even approximate economy and capacity I have found it necessary to pro-' vide two ducts, through which the respective currents are passed, separated by a wall of a ing-wall of earthenware, iron, or ducts of metal, such as might be capable of sustaining a stream of liquid oru nbalanced air-pressure, I use an extremely thin filmof copper, with suitable devices for maintaining its shape and protecting the sameagainst deformation by mechanical strain and pressure and against I have used with success thickness, which will afford an approximate conception of the nature of the film.- By the term film as used in this specification I mean a wall thinner. than the sheet-metal walls heretofore used in" this art, as hereinbefore elucidated. Instead of copper aluminium might be used, but with less favor- Thus instead of a separate.

able results. I arrange the ducts separated by this film. in a novel manner and provide on the evaporating side a distributing-mantle of a peculiar character, as will be hereinafter described. This mantle will be kept moistened with water by devices which I'have invented, and the evaporation of such moisture by the air-current will produce a cooling effect that will abstract the heat from the air current on the other side of the wall.

The reason for the inefficiency of various other structures and the success of the one I have produced seems to be, so far as the character of the wall is concerned, in the fact that the evaporation of water by an air-current produces such a comparatively low diiference of temperature between the opposite sides of the wall at any given point that no practi-- cable amount of heat can be conducted through the wall unless composed of such a film as I have-provided. Moreover, the chilling efiectof the evaporation should take place on thesurface of the film in the closest possible proximity to the air in. the coolingchamber, so that the resistance of heat conduction to said air shall be as small as possible with relation tothe resistance through the layer of moisture to the evaporatingblast. In this way the percentage of cooling energy absorbed-by said air in the cooling chamber or duct is large in relation to the percentage absorbed by the water and by the air in the evaporating-chamber.

By reason of the feature just mentioned and those to be hereinafter described I have succeeded in securing a discharge of a cubic foot of air per second at a temperature of 65 with an expenditure of two hundred watts of power, this temperature being nearly independent of the initial temperature. I provide, moreover, an arrangement whereby the cooling energy absorbed by the unevaporated water maybe almost entirely recovered and the efficiency of the apparatus largely increased thereby. I have also provided arrangements for adgust ing and regulating the admission of water to the evaporating-chamber and distributing 1t properly over the surface of the separat ngwall. I have also devised means for ad us'ttng the volume of one or both of the-air ciirrents to correspond to the degree of saturation of the evaporating air, of which the evaporating efficiency is dependent upon its degree of humidity. I have also devised various details essential to a structure capable of practical service, including an arrangement for insulating electrically the copper film to protect it against galvanic corrosion, and a drying apparatus, which may be used in certain cases when the cooled air is so damp that its temperature brings it nearly to the dew-point, which would result in the depositing of moisture in the cooled apartment.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents an inclosing box of wood or of iron, and B an insulating-lining therefor, made, preferably, of rubber or similar yielding material. This box is divided by a series of partitions C G into a long sinuous passage, duct, or tube having six vertical lengths connected into a continuous series by curved joining sections 0 at the ends. A space is left above and below the walls of this passage,wherein are placed small tanks D and E. Within the passage "j ustmentioned and centrally therewith is extended a parallel tube, constituting the cooling duct or chamber, through which the current of air to be cooled is passed, and having a peculiar izonstructiou, which may be described as folows:

Referring to Fig. 5, which shows a transverse section of the tube, A is the removable front cover, and A is the wallof the inclosing box. Fig. 1) which are made of copper and extend across the box, beinglet into, so as to be flush with the surface of the edge of walls A and attached thereto by screws. G G are strong channel-shaped copper strips forming the opposite ends of the rectangular tube G and shaped to conform to the curvature of the tube at the several turns or folds. Between these two channel-barsare stretched the copper films G G which are brazed or riveted thereto, so as to be stiffened and maintained thereby and form a duct having the described film wall. At intervals wooden or metal blocks H H are set into the channel-bars, and a bolt K is extended between them to hold them firmly apart. Any other expedient by which the thin wall of coppermay be mechanically stiffened can be employed. The strips F'F are insulated from C, as shown in Fig. 5, or they may be insulated from the strips G by suitable sheets and washers of rubber, so that no galvanic corrosion of the film can take place. The film must also be composed of non-corrodible material, since a substance like iron if made so thin would be rapidly destroyed. The outer surface of this tube G is provided with a removable mantle fordistributing the moisture over its entire extent; Ordinary cloth or felt is notfeasible for this purpose, being an eifectivegh'eat insulator and containing foreign substances, which form more or less of a sedi- F is one of three braces (see also' the sheet-iron walls I employ for this purpose a very fine meshed netting, made of unsized cotton orlinen,which is cut in strips, with strengthening-bands at the edges, and then laid over the tube and laced or otherwise fastened thereto, so as to be readily detachable, as appears in Fig. 4 at L. For moistening this mantle I provide at each of the three upper bends in tube G four pipes J J J J, the first two being located directly above the tube G and the other two just inside the bend, all of them being closely adjacent to the tube. These tubes are provided with removable nozzles I, through which passes a small central perforation, so that the water will issue therefrom in drops or a small stream and be projected onto the absorbingmantle, which will distribute it uniformly over the surface of tube G. The flow of the liquid being longitudinally with the tube G, a comparatively short length of drip-tube is required and the nozzles maybe fewer and larger than if the flow were transverse to the tube. v

The excess of moisture will be collected at the lower bend of the sinuous containing-passage, where it will drop through a small perforation '17, into the tank E. The water is supplied to the pipes J J J J from cross-pipes M, set into a removable section of cover A, the drip-pipes being all connected thereto. The tube M will be connected with the bottoo tom of tank D by two joints of pipe M and M so that the drip-tubes, with the removable cover, can be drawn forward at any time, as one would open a drawer, and the tubes examined, as best shown in Fig. 3.

N is a blower driven by any suitable motor, such as an electric motor 0, and the blast therefrom is delivered into the lower lefthand end of the sinuous evaporating-passage, in which is contained the cooling-tube G. A damper S is placed in the evaporating-passage and another damper S in tube G, so that the volume of air in both can be adjusted. The air-blast divides, part entering the tube G and the other .part passing outside of the tube throughout the entire length of the passage. The air external to the tube will evaporate the moisture contained in the mantle, and thus produce a cooling effect, which, as already described, is largely taken up by the air in the tube. The latter is conveyed after it leaves the apparatus to the apartment to be 'cooled,while the evaporating air emerges saturated with moisture and is conducted to the sewer or some place outside of the building.

The surplus moisture is collected, as described, in the tank 'E, which, it should be observed, is contained within the apparatus inside of the heat-retaining wall, so that it shall retain the same temperature as the evaporating-blast. The same is true of tank D. In order that the cooling effect absorbed by IIO the water may not be lost, I provide that the same water shall be used again and again, it becoming cooler each time itis passed over the mantle, until an equilibrium is restored between its cooling tendency and the heating tendency of the evaporating stream ofwarm For this purpose I provide a pump P,

air. which shall act automatically at intervals to draw the water E and deliver it to the tank to D,,whence' it is again passed over the mantle in the manner already described. The float V in the lower tank is arranged so that when it reaches a predetermined level it will operate clutch W through the arm n and swinging lever n as clearly illustrated in Figs.,1

and 2, to connect the pump P to the shaft of the motor 0 and blower N. When the motor ,is in operation, the electromagnet Y is energized, thereby attracting one end of the stop-cock, and when the. motor ceases to operate the current is cut off from the magnet and the weight T returns the stop-cock to its closed position, all as will be readily understood. This will set the pump in operation and elevate "the water into the upper, tank until the water in E is at a pre.dete rmined new level, when it will throw the clutch again outof engagement and stop the pump. The waste by evaporation is supplied to the lower 0 tank E by a drip-pipe T, in which a cock X.

is turned sufficiently to allow approximately the proper amount of water to enter the tank. This cock X may be controlled by a magnet Y in the circuit of the motor and opened only 3 5 when the motor is in operation.

In order that the volume of the evaporatingcurrent may be in direct ratio'to its humidity, I may provide int-he outlet-pipe of blower N, where it will be subjected to the incoming 0 air, a compound temperature'strip, (shown at X, in dotted lines, Fig. 1.) This strip may be kept moistened by a wick X dipping into tank E. The strip will expand or contract,- according to the temperature of evaporation 5 occasioned by the incoming air-current, being higher as the air is drier.

I This strip is con-' nected to a cord P, which passes over a pul ley' on the shaft of damper S, and may also be connected,,'if desired, with damper S, but so as to act oppositely thereon.

A second pulley with a counterbalancin'g-weight will also be applied to the damper-shaft. By this means the volume of the evaporating-blast will be adjusted with relation to the volume of air to be cooled according to the degree of saturation of the former. r In Fig. 6 I have shown a drier that in some cases may be introduced into the stream of i cooled air after it" leaves the cooling appara- 66 ratus and before it is delivered to the apart-- ment. This drier cohsists of a box A connected on one side to the above-described tube G and on the other side to an outgoing tube G leading .to the apartment, such connection being effected by any 'of the usual and \velbk-nown pipe connections, not necessary to illustrate. Within this box are a se-.

ries of trays t, readily removable and provided with lips on alternate sides, which en gage with interior ribs 15 on the box and so form a sinuous passage for the air as it passes through thebox' from the inlet to the outlet pipe. In each of these trays iscontained a layer of anhydrous copper sulfate, which will absorba sufiicient amount of moisture to,

prevent in any case a deposition of water from the cooled air. The trays will be removed when the drying material becomes saturated and turns blue. They will then be placed in an oven or otherwise heated for a short time, when the moisture will be evaporated and the material again turns white. peated indefinitely at the required intervals whenever it is necessary to use the apparatus in a damp climate.

What 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. An air-cooling apparatus, comprising, in combination, two parallel ducts traversed by distinct air-currents and separated bya wall consisting of a mechanically-stiifened film of non-corrodible material, provided on one side with an absorbent mantle, together with means for moistening the said mantle, substantially as described.

2. An air-cooling apparatus, comprising, in combination, two parallel ducts traversed by distinct aircurrents and separated by a wall consisting of a mechanically-stifiened film of non-corrodible material, an absorbent man- This can be retleon one side of said wall, means for moistening said mantle, and means for delivering air into the said ducts under substantially the same pressure whereby the said wall is re-.

. piecesinto continuous sinuous passages and separated by a metallic film, in suitably-supported sheets, covered on one side with an absorbent mantle, together with means for moistening the said mantle, substantially as described. J

,5. An air-cooling apparatus, comprising, in combination, two parallel ducts traversed by separate air-currents, the said ducts'being made in vertical sections, connected by curved end pieces into continuous sinuous passages and provided -with "a separatingwall composed of a metallicfilm, an absorbent mantle on one side of said wall and means for moistening the said mantle, consisting bf a pipe provided with one or more nozzlesat- IIO rm being made in vertical sections, connected at sinuous ducts, an absorbent mantle attached to the said wall and means for moistening the 1 ternately, so as to form a continuous passage, anair-duct with thin metallio walls contained current of air to be cooled, an absorbent man- 10. In a cooling apparatus, the combination the top of each one of the respective sections, the said nozzles being adapted to deliver the water to the mantle in such manner that it may flow longitudinally with the direction of the ducts, substantially as described.

6. An air-'coolin g apparatus, comprising, in combination, two parallel ducts traversed by distinct air-currents and separated by a wall, consisting of a metallic film, the said ducts their ends by curved pieces joining them into said mantle, consisting of pipes provided with nozzles at the upper ends ofthe respective sections, said nozzles being placed on both sides of the duct through which passes the air to be cooled, substantially as described.

7. In an air-cooling apparatus,the combination of an inclosing casing, a series of dividing-walls O 0 connected alternately at their upper and lower ends to form a sinuous evaporating-duct, of a parallel air-duct placed centrally in the said evaporating-duct and provided with opposite walls consisting of metal films, adetachable absorbent mantle on each of the said walls and means for moistening. the said mantle, consisting of a pipe with nozzles at the top of each section of cooling-tube and on both sides ofsaid tube for delivering water to both of the said mantle-covered walls, substantially as described. I

8. In an air-cooling apparatus,the combination with an in closing casingof dividing-walls therein, connected at their opposite ends alin and parallel with the said evaporating-duct, an absorbent mantle on the walls of said airduct, means for moistening said mantle and a drip-tank below the said evaporating-duct, the latter being provided at the bottom of each section with an opening through which the surplus water is delivered into the said tank, substantially as described.

9. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with an inclosin g casin g, of two parallel ducts, separated by a film of metal, one receiving an evaporating-current and the other a current of air to be cooled, an absorbent mantle on said film, means for delivering water to the said mantle and a drip-tank below the said ducts, havingan unperforated bottom, whereby the surplus moisture from the mantle may be allowed to accumulate and the cooling onergyabsorbed thereby retained, substantially as described.,-

with a suitable casing, of two parallel ducts separated by a film or membrane, one receiving an evaporating-current and the other a tle on the evaporating side of said film or membrane, a tank containing a body of water, a supply-pipe adjusted to deliver water to the apparatus and means to govern the supply of watenat a rate commensurate with the ceases evaporation, and means for delivering the water from said tank to the absorbent mantle, whereby a surplus body of cooled water may be maintained in the apparatus to which the evaporating process is applied, substantially as described.

11. In acooling apparatus, the combination with a, suitable casing, of two parallel ducts, separated by a film or membrane, one receiving anevaporating-current and the other a current of air to be cooled, an absorbent mantleon the said film or membrane, a tank receiving the surplus water from said mantle and a supply-pipe for delivering fresh water to the said surplus water in the tank and means to govern the supply of fresh water to an amount commensurate with the evapora tion', whereby the fresh water is subjected to the cooling efiect of the surplus Water before it is itself passed over the mantle, substan= tially as described.

12. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with a suitable casing, of two parallel ducts, separated by a film or membrane, one receiv ing an evaporatingcurrent and the other a current of air to be cooled, an absorbent mantle on the evaporating side of said film or membrane, means for moistening said mantle, an operating-motor for delivering the air to said ducts, a supply-pipe for delivering water to said apparatus to make up for the evaporated water and a stop-cock in said supplypipe, controlled by the operation of said m0- tor, whereby the water is supplied only while the apparatus is at work, substantially as described.

13. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with a suitable casing, of two parallel ducts, separated by a film'of metal, one receiving an evaporating-current and the other a current of air to be cooled, an absorbent mantle on the evaporating side of said film, two tanks in said casing, one above and the other below the ducts aforesaid, a connection from the upper tank for delivering water therein to the said mantle, and a pump for returning the water from the lower tank to the upper one, substantially as described.

14. In a cooling apparatus, the combination per tank for delivering water therein to the said mantles, a pump for returning the water from the lower tank to, the upper one, and a supply-pipe delivering to the lower tank an amount of water suificient'to make up for that lost-by evaporation, substantially as described.

15. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with a suitable casing, of two parallel ducts, separated bya thin metallic wall, one receiving an evaporating-current and the other a;

with a suitable casing, of two parallel ducts,

current ,of airto be cooled, an absorbent 1115;11- tle on s'aid wall, means for delivering water to the said mantle, a drip-tank below the said ducts for receiving surplus water from the mantle, a float controlled by the said surplus water and apump controlled by said float for delivering the surplus water to the top of the mantle, substantially as described.

16. Ilia cooling apparatus, the combination with a suitable casing, of two parallel ducts, separated bya film or membrane, one receiving an evaporating-current, the other a cur- .rent of air to be cooled, an absorbent mantle on the evaporating side of said film or membrane, a drip-tank for receiving the surplus water from the mantle, a pump for returning, the water to the top of the mantle, an operating-motor for delivering the air-current, and means for periodically connecting the said pump to the said motor for returning the drip-water to the mantle, substantially as described.

17. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with a suitable casing, of two parallel sinuous ducts, separated by a film of metal, onereceiving an evaporating-current and the other a current of air to be cooled and each section of the evaporating-duct communicating with a drip-tank below the two ducts and exterior thereto, an absorbent mantle on the evaporating side of said film, a supply-pipe [or delivering water to the apparatus to make up for the evaporated water, and means for returning the water in said tank to the top of the mantle, substantially as described.

18. In acooling apparatus, the combination with an evaporating-duct, of a parallel cooling-ductprovided with strengthening-ribs between which is extended a film of non-corrodible metal serving as a separating-wall between the two ducts, an absorbent mantle on the evaporating side of said wall and means for moistening the said mantle, substantially as described.

19. In acooling apparatus, the combination with an evaporating-duct, of a parallel cooling-duct provided with longitudinal strengthening-ribs between which is extended a film of ndn-corrodible metal serving as-a separatin g-wall between the two ducts, an absorbent mantle on the evaporating side of said wall and means for moistening the said mantle,

with a cooling-tube having a suitably-supported wall consisting of a film of non-corrodible material, of a detachable mantle for said wall, consisting of a layer of fine-meshed netting and connecting devices for attaching the said mantle to'the wall, substantially as described.

21. In a cooling apparatus,'the combination with an air-duct havingawall consisting of a suitably supported film of non --corrodible metal, of a detachable absorbent mantle, said mantle consisting of a layer of fine-meshed netting, provided with attaching devices for applying the mantle to the wall, substantially as described.

22. Ina cooling apparatus, the combination with two parallel ducts separated by a wall composed of a suitably-strengthened film of metal and covered with an absorbent mantle, of means for moistening the said mantle, con sisting of a movable pipe provided with a series-of nozzles at the top of the mantle, and a suitable casing provided with a covered opening adjacent to the said tube, substantially as described.

23. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with two parallel ducts, separated by a thin metallic wall, one containing an evaporatingcurrent and the other a current of air to be cooled, of a hygrometrially-controlled regu lator for the air-currents, for adjusting the volume of the evaporating-current relatively to the current to be cooled, in accordance with the humidity of the said evaporating current, substantially as described.

24. In a cooling apparatus, the combination with an evaporating-duct, of an adjacent airduct separated from the evaporating-duct by a metallic film suitably supported and insu= 26th day of January, 1898. LOUIS BELL.

Witnesses:

GEo. R. TAYLOR, r EUGENE GUELPA. 

